16 October 2007

This used to be a patented Democratic specialty, but it appears the Republicans are encroaching on our intellectual property:

The Republicans’ circular firing squad is now assembled. All that’s left is for someone — President Bush, House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) or Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) — to yell the appropriate command: "Fire!"...

So what advice would this Republican give his party’s Members of Congress? "If I were in a swing district, I’d vote to override. There’s no way I’d take a bullet on this. But if I were in a good Republican district, I’d vote to sustain the veto."

Those comments are not atypical of what many Republicans are saying.

One Republican Member of Congress I spoke with was just as explicit. "It’s stupid politics. The leadership is putting pressure on Members [to sustain the veto], promising to rebuild the brand. I don’t know why our guys are following [Bush] into the sea like lemmings." (from Roll Call)

For my part, I hope the Republicans do sustain the veto. Not because I don't support SCHIP; I do, as does the vast majority of the American people. But because if the SCHIP expansion goes down, the likely democratic response will be to re-authorize the plan as it exists for a year, and bring it up again in October 2008.

Right. Before. The. Election.

In that case, either the Republicans and Bush roll over and hand the Democrats a major legislative victory immediately prior to the voting, or Bush repeats his petulant veto and the Republican circular firing squad sustains again, handing Democrats the perfect icon for branding conservative callousness in the election season.

Now if the Democrats can remember the old adage: When your opponent is drowning, throw the son of a bitch an anvil.

5 comments:

But because if the SCHIP expansion goes down, the likely democratic response will be to re-authorize the plan as it exists for a year, and bring it up again in October 2008.

Right. Before. The. Election.

The Republicans should, in turn, remind the world that Democrats seek government take-over of the health care system, nothing more, nothing less. That's no big secret.

"It's just a cigarette tax." Well, tax the poor and uneducated (a good portion of the smokers of this country) to pay for the middle class hand-out, and we'll see how that affects the financial status of the poor and uneducated. Newsflash: They get more poor.

I believe the proposal was $1 tax per pack of cigarettes, which costs the poor and uneducated smokers (and, again, smokers in general) $365 per year in taxes for a 1 PPD smoker.

This, oddly, makes it so people must smoke to sustain a health care program. What happens when everyone wises up and decides to not smoke (including those because packs cost too much)? Either the Democrats will have to campaign for increased smoking or find their billions of dollars elsewhere, namely, my pocket probably.

Here's a little secret....the Rethuglican smear machine led by the diminutive bespectacled man behind the curtain is gleefully waiting for Shrillary to win the donk nomination so they can unload both barrels on her with a torrent of campaign finance scandals.

Aside from the SCHIP portion of the legislation, the entire bill was horrible. Hopefully a "better" SCHIP bill can come out of a conference without the pork which muddied an otherwise important piece of legislation.

No wonder congressional approval ratings just hit 11% They can't do anything for the right reason.

I think it is cute that you think campaign finance scandals will play better than taking money from sick poor children.

I also think it is cute that you think the Republican Hate Machine will do better against Hillary. The only reason to vote for Hillary Clinton as a liberal, is that she is the most capable of taking on attacks like these.

Of course, besides not having anything to say, and directing its hate against a women not only capable of responding but eager to do so, the RHM will have another problem: The MSM has grown tired of its story line. I strongly suspect every attack will be couched in a comparison to some Repbulican scandal that was much worse. I suspect you'll see Wolf Blitzer types say, "Do the Republicans really think this will work, again?"

The tides are turning. Fox is played out, and the MSM is looking for a new sucker. When that happens, please remember the free ride the Republicans have had since 1994. Please.

No, the only reason for people like you to vote for her is that she isn't as pathetically weak as the other Democrats who are running. So even though she is a corrupt pandering hawkish establishment-type, you'll grit your teeth and vote for her after she wins the nomination, even though she isn't as dreamy as your favored teen-idolish candidates.

Shadowfax

About me: I am an ER physician and administrator living in the Pacific Northwest. I live with my wife and four kids. Various other interests include Shorin-ryu karate, general aviation, Irish music, Apple computers, and progressive politics. My kids do their best to ensure that I have little time to pursue these hobbies.

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